art is where you find it

here’s part of my line of thinking when it comes to art: that art is where you find it. it doesn’t mean it’s expensive, it doesn’t mean that it needs to be hung on a wall, and it doesn’t even mean that it was created with the intent of actually making art. if it’s something that is special to you, if it’s something that is art to you, so it is.

so, i humbly present this piece of art:

thomas paine has a wonderful quote: “it is dearness only that gives everything it’s value.” you can’t argue with that, and i’ll certainly never try.

so in that line of thought, i must admit that i think i’d probably be attracted to this paintbrush even if it didn’t have a history for me, but in this case it is something dear to me. i’ve mentioned before that one of my grandfathers was a wall paperer and house painter, and this was one of his paintbrushes. i came across it when we moved in, and i mounted it on an ancient wood backing from an old painting and framed it in an antique frame.

sure, i’ve had my fair share of teasing about having an old paintbrush framed on my wall, but i love it. that paintbrush has done more than it’s fair share of work, and, speaking as someone who was once upon-a-time paid to make things look old and authentic (among other things), you can’t fake character like that. that paintbrush has painted endless strokes, endless colors, and endless people have been happy with a new looking room because of that humble paintbrush.